perhaps that conservative republican and former nebraska senator could speak to his democratic counterpart about joining in the growing consensus backing real reform.

i dont know what will be gained by these old dead-in-the-water sane republicans...

...somewhat sane...

...well, bob dole thinks bob dole is sane...

It's clear that the GOP only wants to make Obama look bad, therefor they HAVE to block health care reform.

It's not about god and country anymore, it's about out and out bullyingsh*t.

That way, when 2010 election time rolls around, they'll blather about the impotence of Obama, etc.

This isn't governing by any standard.

We don't reward consensus in our current system of government, there's no accountability for obstructionism.

We are witnessing the fault-lines throughout our political framework, the cracks are only going to grow wider, until we wake up to the fact that a government run by lobbyland and special interests
just isn't a government for the people by the people after all.

The solution? Reform the electoral college for one thing.

We need a (more) socialistic government. What we have now is rotting and more and more dysfunctional.

Hagel, Schwarzenegger, Dole, Frist, etc. Next week's voices of "Concern"! Screw 'em.

Congressional Republicans and their fellow party stalwarts on the AM band are tone-deaf to what the American people want, and deserve to get, through their representative government.

It is becoming all too apparent this shrinking core-supporting ideological crowd has no idea which way the majority of Americans chose to go in the last election and are still to date scratching the walls of self-perceived power trying to stay within the old Bush White House and the privilege it bestowed upon them in the last eight years! What sourpusses!

Yes, when a growing number of disparate groups begin to endorse health care reform, we will get to watch the implosion of the Republican party, and maybe the demise of Beckian absurdity and that fat flatulent-strewn slob with the golden mike! -Kevo

Starting in September, Obama refocused on health care and pushed back on the teabaggers and congressional Republicans. That, and continued progress on the bill, seems to be paying off in a rising trend in the polls. See job approval numbers at pollster.com.

off topic:

Interesting suppositions evoked by one of the "Enders" ...

Comparing Obama to Gorbachev -- who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990...and the USSR did the ol' Jackie Gleason "G'Nite,Everybody" one year later...

cf,
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-wins-gorbachevs-peace-prize.html

All well and good, but a consensus on WHAT? There's an awful lot of interpretations as to what constitutes a public option and more on just how much money we have to keep the cost figure under, and more on mandates and subsidies.

The forces deathly opposed to any meaningful reform are still out there and they are still spending millions daily to try an derail it and they still have lots of allies in Congress ready to work behind the scenes...especially in conference....to create a dogs breakfast of verbiage which says much and signifies virtually nothing.

Don't get complacent....

A very, very basic question for ANY elected politician, is WHY do you want to be Senator, President, Dog Catcher?

A few, like former Senator Hagel, will have an honest answer. Most, however, will spout the usual blather.

just a moment, while I get my drum out. . .

Getting Elected, and then Re-elected is the only reason for their existance.

Sitting GOP Senators and Dem opponents of reform don't give a rat's bleeding ass what Chuck Hagel thinks. He could not be more irrelevant to the real-world political task of getting a bill passed. The administration and health care reform advocates can trumpet Hagel's support 24/7 for the next 365 days, but he only matters in the fantasy world where true bipartisanship actually exists in Congress.

Having Republicans come out in support of health care is politically consequential. It's a signal to independent, moderate voters about the bill that it's mainstream and elected Republicans are out of the mainstream.

To the extent that this buttresses Obama's numbers among independents (which have gone up lately), it affects elected officials, most especially nervous Democrats from red states/districts.

Just underscores that the Dems have not moved any more to the left, but the GOP has lost the middle.

There's a very clever comment by "urban legend" at http://scienceblogs.com/mikethemadbiologist/2009/06/how_krugman_...
.
S/he argues for the State opt-out principle as a winner in many ways, eg:

...
That's why the state "opt-out" end run -- a fig leaf for the centrists -- is a strategy for a devastating Senate victory in the neighborhood of from 62% to 65% versus 38% or even 35%. Moreover, no state will actually have the guts after a local battle to pull the opt-out switch via a referendum or legislative vote -- what, denying the citizens of the state even the freakin' option to choose a less expensive plan? -- so it's also a strategy for a 100%, or total, policy victory.
...

The whole comment is worth reading. I think that's too rosy and confident, but it's an interesting thesis. Maybe some people in DC are thinking this too? REM that it needs to be, "opt out by referendum" not "opt out by the State legislature"! The difference is very important.

With Hegal now adding his voice to serious health reform, is what we are seeing a spontaneous uprising by the Grand "Old" Party against a new Republican Party that is the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Radical Right. Or, are Hegal, Crist, Swarzennager et al being quietly courted by Democrats who still want a bi-partisan health care bill but understand they aren't going to get one with elected Republicans in Congress who simply are not free agents who can vote with Democrats without reprisals from their base or industry benefactors.

But, but, Frist, Hagel & Dole are out of office & represent no one. Whereas Gingrich is, uh, the right's irrepressible ideas man & an undeniable leader of his party. The behavior of bookers for the Sunday news shows shows this to be true.

Any news flash yet that Minority Leader Boner has finally heard from someone who likes the public option? Reporters need to be following this up on an hourly basis.

Nell B, I think you a urban legend are correct, but you've got to stop saying reasonable things like this in public. The ReThugs need to believe this is a major concession if even one of them is to come along.

Repeat after me, Opt-out = sell out. Opt-out is bad.:-)

The fact the the AMA and ANA have given their endorcement is really a little deceiving---most think that all doctors and all nurses belong to one of these two organizations---not true----their membership reflects a small number of doctors and nurses---I for one am a nurse and the ANA definitely does not speak for me-

Tom---just keep believing what the liberal media is putting out there---It may be hard for you to believe but there are great numbers of us who do not like Obama's "progressive" or "socialist" or "liberal" agenda---it has nothing to do with trying to destroy the man, it has nothing to do with his color, IT IS HIS AGENDA!!@!@@!@!@ You and the liberal media just can't accept those facts---they have to make it into something personal---and by telling you this over and over you most certainly start to believe it---just like a child --if all he hears is "you're stupid , you're worthless" eventually the child believes this----

The spot is scheduled to begin airing tomorrow in D.C. and on national cable. -- Steve Benen

Maybe, but maybe not :) DNC (bless their little clumsy hearts) has, for no good reason, "edited/redacted" the Dole quote. Dole's objecting, the White House has requested that the ad be pulled. Given Tim Kaine's general ineptitude and wishy-washiness, I'm not surprised about the flop. And I expect the only audience the ad will have will be on the blogs.

The fact the the AMA and ANA have given their endorcement is really a little deceiving---most think that all doctors and all nurses belong to one of these two organizations---not true

The New England Journal of Medicine did a recent poll showing that 73% of physicians in this country support the health care reforms being proposed by the Democratic party -- although that's a "little deceiving," as a significant number of those want to go much further and create a single payer system.

So while you're trying to sow the idea that physicians don't support health care reform, the truth is that they support it overwhelmingly, whether they belong to the AMA or not.

Further, the AMA is the oldest, most prestigious, most impossibly influential doctors organization in this country. To try and diminish that is just silly.

But if that's not enough to show the overwhelming support of health care workers who put patients first, here is just a partial list of the doctors and nurses organizations that presently support the Democratic proposals for health care reform:

American Medical Association 240,000 members
American College of Physicians 126,000 members
American Academy of Family Physicians 94,000 members
American College of Surgeons 76,000 members
American Osteopathic Association 67,000 members
American Academy of Pediatrics 60,000 members
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology 52,000 members
American College of Cardiology 37,000 members
American Gastroenterological Association 27,000 members

American Nurses Association
American League for Nursing
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Gerontological Nurses Association
Minnesota Nurses Assocation, Washington State Nurses Assocation, and most state nursing organizations.

Unlike you, the vast majority of doctors and nurses in this country put patients' access to health care first before their concern for tax returns, their love of Glenn Beck, or their hatred for anything that seems European to them.

Boy, fearnomore seems to be obsessed with, well, fear. Taxes may go up, but there's no reason to think that overall expenditures will go up, and why do I care whether I'm paying in taxes or in premiums. That is just an ideological question.

And one reason that the congresscritters may not all jumping to be covered under this plan is that they are already covered under a better plan, one that would genuinely cost more to implement nationwide. Simple answers to simple questions.

BTW, do you have a link to a description of those proposed amendments and the voting patterns? Somebody out there must have asked why they didn't want it, right?....

Unlike you, the vast majority of doctors and nurses in this country put patients' access to health care first before their concern for tax returns, their love of Glenn Beck, or their hatred for anything that seems European to them.

Just to add, in addition to doctors and nurses organizations, other enormous nationwide health care entities supporting reform are:

American Hospital Association
Federation of American Hospitals
Catholic Health Association

-- and uncountable Health Alliances and Hospital Networks across the country, adding up to millions of health care professionals in toto and all the leading doctors, nurses, and hospitals organizations.

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